Don’t forget “prevolent” in the first paragraph. And the common error that the USA was built on sold Christian principles. Jefferson and Franklin were Deists, and Thomas Paine was probably an atheist. Don’t get me wrong; I hope there’s a God. But don’t waste your electrons writing at your level. Learn spelling, mechanics, history, and philosophy. Read the religious criticism of Yale professor Harold Bloom, a Gnostic Jew. Do you know what Gnosticism is? ( I know ; you’re thinking “an agnostic is one who doesn’t know if there is a God”). Wrong. A Gnostic believes in God. See how spelling is important. Finally, I recommend you read the following poems by Wordsworth: “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” and “Intimations of Immortality.” That woud be a start, anyway.

I respect agnosticism. “I don’t know.” is a fair, honest answer to most metaphysical questions as far as I am conscerned. Infinitly preferable to the millions and billions who go through life declaring as certainty things that nobody has a proveable answer to, or worse- things which are demonstrably false. With respect to your statement about America not being built on Christian principles- the people who originally made this nation were by and large Christians, and so were most of the framers. But as for the larger issue of principles- as opposed to men- certainly the freedom to worship as you see fit- or not at all- was a cornerstone of our nation’s freedom and your point is well taken. But the fundamental question of where our rights come from, and the particular and novel view that the framers had of the relationship between Men and Governments IS very much founded on rights given by God, not granted by government. It is all very clear in the Declaration of Independance. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness- That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” That is the fundamental worldview that underlies the whole country and God is not exactly a small part of that statement is it? I wish to impose nothing on anybody, and I am no bible-thumping religious advocate. I simply wish to make the point that to understand the essence of America and what made it unique from the beginning , you have to understand God’s role in it’s founding. That’s all. Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks for your kind words of encouragement by the way. I will try to learn some spelling. Oh- by the way, I assume you meant “solid ” christian principles above instead of “sold”? Personally, I am not one to try and berate or belittle a point that somebody is trying to make based on ticky-tack errors of spelling or grammar. I knew exactly what you meant and tried to respond to your point with a reasoned counterpoint instead of an insult. It seems a more productive and rewarding manner of interacting with my fellow human beings on the internet. You should try it sometime. You might enjoy life a little more…